Two of the world’s largest accounting firms are members of a lobby group that is taking legal action against the Obama administration’s signature climate change policy, Energydesk can reveal.

Despite publicly supporting the President’s Clean Power Plan, which will curb power plant carbon emissions, Ernst & Young (EY) and the US branch of PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) remain members of a trade group suing to block it.

EY meanwhile has previously referred to the Clean Power Plan glowingly, calling it “arguably its most comprehensive and far-reaching emissions reduction legislation to date, with the potential to significantly increase renewable energy deployment over the next 15 years”.

It said: “Siemens does not support the position of the NMA for the Clean Power Plan.

“This does not mean that we therefore terminate our membership in the association. We can use our association membership to advertise in the industry for the use and development of climate-friendly and green technologies ”

Just the other day American Electric Power, one of the largest utilities in the country, announced its intention to quit the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) in order to work towards complying with the Clean Power Plan.

Both PwC and EY confirmed their membership of the group, but declined to comment.